President's message:
Nonprofits still monitoring bills
challenging tax exemptions
Governor Abercrombie has announced his administration will partner with four nonprofits to address Hawaii's homeless problem statewide, a great example of government-nonprofit partnership to meet community goals. Nonprofits can reach this target population and provide services efficiently for and with government. We look forward to future collaborations.
As I write, April is ending and the Legislature is winding down, taking big steps to finalize the state budget. So far, nonprofits have not lost their general excise tax exemptions, except on revenue from exhibits and displays at conferences and conventions -- a bitter pill that we will have to swallow in this austere fiscal environment. HANO is still participating to make sure we don't lose other tax exemptions at the 11th hour.
The conference committee is still working on SB 778. It would take the sting out of Act 155, passed in 2010, which made board members and key staff personally liable for paying general excise taxes that a nonprofit willfully neglects and could revoke state tax-exempt status of nonprofits failing to file the annual G-49 reconciliation form.
Honolulu City Council's Bills 25 (CD1), 26 and 27 each propose higher taxes for nonprofits that own real property. Final action has yet to be scheduled as city officials wait to see if the state will raid the counties' share of the transient accommodations tax. If the state does, the city will take aggressive action to make up the shortfall. Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, our National Council of Nonprofits has provided an update on the federal budget.
As May begins, I'll be in Boston to represent Hawaii on Nonprofit Quarterly's Editorial Advisory Board, urging NPQ to focus its online and magazine publications on subjects that matter most to Hawaii nonprofits in the coming year.
Enjoy this month's newsletter, chock full of information on our diverse sector.
Mahalo,
Lisa Maruyama
HANO president & CEO
News for Nonprofits
- Massive identity theft with help from the IRS reported
- What IRS revocation of nonprofit tax-exempt status means
- Symphony Exploratory Committee reaches deal with musicians
- Disabled residents of Mayor Wright Homes sue state
- May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month – why we care
- Nonprofits help make affordable homes a reality on Kauai
- Kamehameha Schools begins search for new trustee
- When things go wrong: Damage control in the Facebook age
- Recent grants to Hawaii nonprofits
- Hawaii nonprofit people in the news
- New Census data highlight state’s ethnic diversity
- Census includes more hard-to-count people than expected
- Am I personally liable if I misclassify employees as exempt?
The Economy
- Report: Hawaii wage gap between men, women is $9,934
- Honolulu jobless rate improves to 5.1 percent
- New signs that Hawaii’s economy is turning around
- Fuel prices send electric bills surging across the state
- Operating reserves – building capacity to survive a drought
Advocacy & Public Policy
- Governor announces an initiative to reach homeless
- City considers bills on historic residence tax exemptions
- New law exempts community access TV from procurement
- Independent Sector asks support for charitable deductions
- Federal policy news from National Council of Nonprofits
- This Hawaii nonprofit will likely survive federal budget cuts
- Endorsing candidates. It’s illegal. Here’s how to do it.
Announcements
- Hone your proposal writing skills at HANO workshop
- Kahului Rotary to honor an outstanding nonprofit volunteer
- Collaborative Leadership Network launches website
- UH to offer online summer course in Public Policy
- Kauai CC launches not-for-profit management certificate
- Three hospice workshops from Australia offered in May
- Family Programs Hawaii to host 2011 foster care conference
- Teen pregnancy prevention campaign set for May
- You’re changing the world; Google wants to help
- Nominees sought for outstanding, under-40 leader award
